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Welcome to the NABA Sarasota County Butterfly Club website

OUR PURPOSE:

To study and research the populations of butterflies found in our area.

To educate ourselves and the community through shared information, to create butterfly gardens, sanctuaries and habitats, to participate in July 4th butterfly count, and to conduct field trips

To have fun

DO YOU FIND BUTTERFLIES INTRIGUING?

If so, join us and learn about butterflies and butterfly gardening and enjoy meeting with people who have similar interests. The Sarasota County chapter is an active group that meets monthly at The Sarasota Garden Club located at 1131 Blvd. of the Arts and offers a variety of speakers, field trips and sharing of butterfly gardening experiences. The club has an extensive butterfly garden open to the public. Many of our members have been working with schools and other local organizations in the community, helping to plant butterfly gardens and educating the public on butterfly conservation.

20 Responses to Home

Hi,
I recently moved into a house with a yard that is dedicated to creating habitats for Butterflies. My intention is to insure they remain happy and prosperous. My problem is mosquitos. Any recommendations for non toxic treatment to rid me of these pests?
Thank you

Contact Carol or Wilma at the UF Agricultural Station. They have great ideas on pesticides that are best to maintain the ecosystem balance. There are soaps and oils that might be effective or beneficial insects and if none of the above work they can suggest a chemical that will focus only on killing thepest. They avoid systemic chemicals that wipe out many creatures.

Hi David,
There are quite a few different types of Pipevines (Aristolochia). Some are beneficial for the Polydamas swallowtail and some are beneficial for the Pipevine Swallowtail. The plants I have are hard to transplant.

Please help ….Bradenton FL (Bayshore Gardens)
The Aristilochia Grandiflora that once sheltered my front porch is being destroyed by what I have been told are Pipevine Swallowtail catepillars.
I have no knowledge about butterflies other than how very essential they are to the earth and their beauty. I do not want to destroy them but I need my vine also. SO
CAN ANYONE HELP ME TO RELOCATE THEM so they may continue to carry out lives? I estimate there are around 100 black cats covered orange knobs on the vine.
I don’t want to kill them but I need my vine (which I now plan to relocate to another area of my yard where the swallowtails can enjoy it next year.

If I were to move the whole vine (potted) to another area of th yard (not an easy feat for a near blind 70 year old disabled woman) would this enable the butterflies to survive? Also would they move on to my other ornamental flowers, which I really do not want destroyed?

I know these are questions you may laugh at but please don’t. I am very serious about saving these beauties and my vine and flowers. Thank you for any assistance you can give me.

All butterflies have specific host plants that they chose to lay eggs on and that their caterpillars will then use as their food source. The caterpillars on your pipevine are probably the Gold Rim or Polydamas Swallowtail rather than the Pipevine Swallowtail. The Pipevine Swallowtail requires native pipevine plants for survival, and although they may lay eggs on non-native pipevines such as yours, the resulting caterpillars would not survive.
Caterpillars stick to their host plant and although they may wander if they run out of food, they will not eat other ornamental flowers.
Back to your problem – moving the caterpillars to another pipevine plant is certainly an option; they would survive the move without any problem. Moving the vine to another location is also an option.
Although the caterpillars may eat the vine down, they will not kill it. It should come back. Some gardeners actually cut their pipevine drastically each spring and it comes back beautifully.

Bev- I recently photographed a female Horace’s Duskywing nectaring in our garden on lantana. However, we are told many species of Spreadwing Skippers “look alike” and that some skippers in the genera (Erynnis spp.) can’t be distinguished in the field even by the so-called experts.

Since the only reliable method of telling the sexes apart involves dissection and we want these beauties to visit us again without adding to their inherent risk, please take a look and see if you agree with our amateur identification of this photo.

We have some butterfly nets and cages used for raising butterflies. We would like to donate them. Also we have some books on butterflies to donate. Should we bring them to the office at the garden?
Thanks so much, Joyce

Thank you very much Joyce. Our members are typically working in our garden on Friday mornings. If that is not convenient for you, please email sarasotabutterflyclub@gmail.com to arrange a time that is better for you. We really appreciate it.
Choose Joy,
Beverly

I would like to have someone help me plan and purchase plants for my butterfly garden that I am planning to start the first of Septemter. Would someone be able to meet me at your suggested plant place at 730 Mytakka Road. I would be happy to send a picture of my yard where I plan to place them if it would help with how many plants I would need and what kind. Thanks in advance for your help/suggestions.

Hi. I’m not a member but I have a question. I’m raising Monarchs and I keep the large caterpillars in a large collapsible mesh laundry basket with milkweed obviously. I found a dead caterpillar hanging from a leaf and it started to attract ants. I pulled it out. My question. Is there an essential that I can keep close by the enclosure without killing the pupa? I have a very healthy group this year :). Can anyone help me? I appreciate it.

What do you mean “an essential”? I raise milkweed in pots and put them in a dry aquarium, changing them out as necessary. I have a screen over top. If the caterpillar was hanging, it was either on a plant that had been sprayed, which happened to me when I got one as a gift, and they all died. Or it had a virus and it was a good thing you removed it. The mesh bag should be washed occasionally with a dilute bleach solution, and rinsed.

I would like to join at this time, but not pay online. I will be getting in touch with you. The main purpose of my joining is to get together with like-minded people, visit each others gardens, and sharing information. Do you also have a “Garden Party” at the end of the season? In other words, I like the idea of comaraderie.

I find gardening in Florida very strenuous. Many of my so-called FL native/friendly plants do not do so well, while more Northern ones thrive.

Hello my name is Nikki Campbell and I work for Children First in Sarasota. We are interested in finding someone who might visit our classroom with caterpillars and butterflies and show our kids about them. if you can or know of someone who will please let us know. thank you so much!!!!

I will contact others in the club who transport caterpillars and butterflies and see about collaborating to come to your class. How old are the children? When is a convenient time to come, morning or afternoon? Do you have any butterfly plants at Children First? Or space to plant donated plants?

I am interested in joining your Butterfly Club. I’m presently active in creating butterfly/hummingbird gardens at my home, it’s very challenging for a number
of reasons. I’d be interested in having the support and cammeraderie of like-
minded people.